Either I'm not as fast as you or my ears are slightly differently set on my head but, although I get some wind noise, it's never enough to totally block out my hearing. I can still hear things like cars over it.

I have just been for a ride & used a magic hat for the first time in a long time.The wind noise generated by the helmet was so high that I didn't hear any of the vehicles which overtook me as they approached from behind,including HGV's.

I've thought about this a couple of times - I really didn't expect him to get a fright and would have preferred to avoid that. Perhaps all I'd do differently in future is wait before saying anything until we were past the parked car across the junction so that we'd be in a better and safer location. I'm not quite sure how I'd have avoided giving him a fright though. Maybe a bit of card and a clothes peg on a seatstay?

Oh, and I think that's tosh about my being "too close" to him, that's normal space that cyclists commonly give each other. Just take a look at this, and many other commuting videos on youtube:http://www.youtube.com/v/tGpgE-a_sfE&rel=1

It would seem that Wendy thinks the 'Give Cyclists Room' campaign applies to everyone, except him.

Flatus, stop being controversial for once. I gave him plenty of room, as much room as many others on here would be happy with, and as much room as we've often given each other in real life. (Well, out of those I've ridden with).

No, you are being controversial - you're deliberately and misleadingly suggesting that was too close, when it wasn't by any standards. That's quite unlike what the blue rider himself did, which is jump a number of red lights (not shown on the video), not look behind himself, and undertake a left turning car. It's pretty obvious I gave him far more room than he himself wanted and needed - just watch how close he goes to the left turning car.

Jakob

Wendy, riding and driving are very different experiences and what is relevant for one is not necessarily for the other.

Oh come on, how can you justify drivers not hearing and insist that cyclists should rely on their hearing with this? At least be a little more rigorous and specific. Perhaps you're really saying that it's OK for drivers not to hear and thus to crash into stuff because they are protected in a metal cage?

Because cyclist are the slower , harder to see and squishier of the two and need to be more alert/defensive?

And who cares what CTUK (whatever that is) teaches. Leave the dogma behind and use a bit of common sense.

Actually, I have some different footage of me passing another cyclist too closely some years ago. I didn't realise at the time, but some criticism on that one made me change the way I pass people.

@Jakob, there's no dogma, only common sense. If you're not looking, then you don't know what's going on. If it had been you or me in the cyclist gets a fright video, we'd be mortified at not having looked behind and being unintentionally surprised like that. The dogma (and nonsense) comes when people insist how important hearing is when cycling.

Thing is, though, Wendy, it isn't like you are an experienced cyclist, is it.

If you ever rode anything other than your London commute you'd see things differently. You really should stop pontificating about how cyclists should ride, when it is based on your own rather unvaried and insubstantial experience.

The thing is Flatus, if you keep on a windup all the time, then people will never take you seriously. A bit like when you were spouting all that bawlicks about hiviz and helmets.

So, yes, I'm responding to you here because others might take you seriously. OTOH I'm fully aware that you're not being even slightly realistic, and never were on this topic nor most of the time you post.

Jakob

Actually, I have some different footage of me passing another cyclist too closely some years ago. I didn't realise at the time, but some criticism on that one made me change the way I pass people.

@Jakob, there's no dogma, only common sense. If you're not looking, then you don't know what's going on. If it had been you or me in the cyclist gets a fright video, we'd be mortified at not having looked behind and being unintentionally surprised like that. The dogma (and nonsense) comes when people insist how important hearing is when cycling.

So, you hear a car revving up behind you and take a look behind. Without that audio cue, would you check behind you?.